The Future of Unions

The election of union ally Joe Biden and control of both the House and Senate by the traditionally labor-friendly Democratic Party have spurred predictions that the union movement may see renewed momentum during Biden's presidency. However, the movement was unable to get Congress to enact a key legislative goal — a bill that would have made it easier to unionize — a decade ago, when the Democrats also controlled the White House and Congress. Battling declining membership, unions hope a Democratic Party that now has a vocal progressive wing, coupled with the economic pressures of the pandemic, will give their agenda greater urgency. They also argue that by negotiating for higher wages, unions help decrease the nation's growing wealth and income gaps. But powerful forces that have long contributed to the decline of unions remain in place, including increased automation, the outsourcing and globalization of manufacturing due to free trade agreements, the rise of the gig economy and aggressive corporate anti-union efforts.